UZTR1D202 Accelerating Learning For Professionals

Introduction:

The article paper namely “At risk students and technology Education” provided by the author Cardon (2000) had given a detailed overview of the education system that should be adopted by schools for their at risk students. Often at risks students fail to have a successful transition in the adult age and does not become self sufficient economically. Therefore researchers are often conducting different experiments to find out the ways that would involve them into successful procedures of learning and help them grasp educations properly. Singapore is progressing effectively in education sector by adopting a number of evidence based approaches for their educations in schools and incorporating learning styles which bring out the best results. Any three researches that have been mentioned by the researchers include

1. Batsche, C. (1985). The high school drop out: Vocational education can help. Normal, IL: Illinois State University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 262 213)
2. Boutin, F., & Chinien, C. A. (1998). Retaining at-risk students in school using a cognitive-based instructional system: Teachers’ reflection in action. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education,36(1),62-78.
3. Damico, S. B. (1989). Staying in school: Social learning factors which lead to retention. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (San Francisco, CA, March 27-31, 1989). (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 324 776)

Research Design:

The research design was mainly based on case study, participant-observant qualitative research methodology which followed a pilot study. The pilot study helped in the development of observation techniques and also helped in developing questions for the research. The researchers at first did a detailed examination of at risk student in an environment of technology education which was followed by understanding the interactions between the at risk students and also the technology education curriculum. Purposeful sampling was mainly done by the researchers. The researchers collected data by participant observation, and interactive methods like interviews. They also did document evaluation for obtaining evidence of the studies.

Data analysis and implications:

This paper had successfully shown that three important learning styles should be stressed upon by the teachers for at risk patients. These are the “construction of knowledge” learning process, “problem solving” learning process as well as “hands on learning” process. All the processes have been supported by the author as he had been able to find them to be highly beneficial for the at-risk students through the case study cum observational and interview analysis process. This is said so because the research that he had conducted have  been found that all the hand son learning  as well as the construction of knowledge process are the most helpful with problem solving being the second in the line of importance.

Reviewing of the article:

The best strategy that had been proposed by the author is the amalgamation of the learning styles so that all the positive aspects of the styles can be included. The at-risk student are ground to be most interested in technological education and hence all the school curriculum should be modified in a way that would provide such students scope of getting better and pursue their field of interests.

The author had been successful in guiding the research to a particular goal where it had been able to provide a strategy that would help to resolve one of the issues of every school in a nation which includes how to develop the future of at-risk student. Hence the author has indeed provided a noteworthy contribution in the field and had clearly discussed how teachers can adopt the proper learning styles in order to make the students prepared for their future. The author had mainly developed two important questions on which the entire discussion had been done. These two are that how at risk students have responded to different types of technology education program and why at risk students enroll in technology education. Both the answers were solved by the researcher and had provided good overview of the subject that attracts the at risk students. Therefore, it is actually seen that students prefer more hands on approach and loves to learn by developing knowledge and problem solving skills along with that of the additional hands on practices where they can apply the knowledge and develop interests More the students found interests, more advancement they make in their fields and hence come out victorious form the category of at risk students.

Limitations:

However, the modification of an education system with the inculcation of three types of learning styles many not be as easier as it seems. This is said so because often a changed environment within a working place often becomes difficult to adapt because it often associates confusion, long periods of training, gathering of experiences, solving negative aspects and many others. Hence, developing a new education style so and introducing different types of curriculum other than the traditional subjects are indeed difficult and act as limitation. Alteration of the traditional lecture-examination style of learning is also difficult as the teachers and also the students many face difficulty in adapting to new techniques. Moreover another concern that also associated with the modification of the traditional education system and introduction of new methods of learning is the financial support. Changing the entire curriculum making arrangements for that, introduction of training for the teachers, alteration of the working styles of the present students and others will result in huge flow of resources. Another important limitation that needs to be mentioned in this is the financial background of the students. Many students often come from low socioeconomic backgrounds who might fail to afford technological education as they are much costlier than other subjects. Many of the students thereby may face difficulties and barriers in adopting a new type of subject and also different learning styles due to several socioeconomic determinants.

Recommendation:

Hence, a well planned procedure by an experienced policy makers and project assistants should be recruited by the education departments of every nations so that the vulnerable students also receive support and gets interested in their education and develop a better quality of future life.

References:

Cardon, P. L. (2000). At-risk students and technology education: A qualitative study.